







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Shall we meet at the train station, or do you want me to pick you up from your house? | |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | |
| Okay, I found it... but it looks filthy! | |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | |
| Yeah, but the room is square and there are only four main objects in it. | |
| How much garlic do you want? | |
| My housemates don't clean anything in the kitchen. | |
| Thanks Rocco, that's all for now. | |
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | |
| I don't like violence in real life, I only like it in movies. | |
| I don't want you to spend a fortune. | |
| It's a double room plus we get a cleaner once a week. | |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | |
| Anyway, what else do we have left to do now? | |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | |
| Well, one of them is 2,800, but bills are not included... | |
| That's why you have a headache now! | |
| I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | |